Surviving the alien fiance visa process

The process of obtaining an immigrant alien fiance visa is not as daunting a task as you may think.  The process is fairly straightforward and there are a number of very good online websites that provide in depth step-by-step information from beginning to end.  

The official United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website provides very useful information www.uscis.gov , and there are also a number of unofficial websites that provide detailed “how to” information like www.k1approved.com.  Of course, if you feel uncomfortable with the DIY approach it is always advisable to consult or obtain professional legal advice from an immigration attorney.

What I would like to discuss in this blog segment is not the entire alien fiance visa process, but rather a specific part of the process that requires that you provide documentation to prove you and your fiance’s relationship is legitimate and not a ruse to obtain a green card.

 

To begin the petition for alien fiance visa you will need to complete and file Form I-129F with the USCIS.   This form requires that documents proving your relationship be attached. This requirement is crucial to a successful petition.

This process can be time consuming and emotionally draining. From my own experience I found myself with shifting emotions between anger one moment at having to prove our relationship (“How dare they doubt our love!”), to elation as the pieces began to come together (“Wow, we really have a great relationship!”).  

My recommendation is to stay calm through the process, maintain a positive attitude and go step-by-step in collecting the items needed.  Organization will be the key to being able to easily complete the task of compiling the documents needed. Organize the timelines that you are working with, and make a schedule of where you hope to be at a certain point in the process.

Begin collecting the information early by knowing what types of documents USCIS are looking for.  There are very good samples of the types of documents that will be needed to prove the relationship on the USCIS website. Make a checklist of items that you can use. For example, photographs of the two of you together that prove that the two of you have met.  Also copies of airplane tickets from her trip to Hawaii to meet you or your trip to Japan. Knowing beforehand that you will need these will make things much easier.  There is no worse feeling than finding out the ticket stubs that you had for your trip to Japan were thrown in the trash because you didn’t think to keep them. So, organize early and know what kinds of things the USCIS will be asking for so you can plan ahead.

Secondly, the photographs that you submit will need to be labeled identifying who is in the photographs.  Although “selfies” are all the rage these days, it is better if you have photographs that show more than just you and her together.  Photographs with friends, coworkers or family members go to show that the two of you have actually introduced each other to important people in your lives and you have a real relationship. Being aware that these things will be useful in the future to prove your relationship makes it much easier to think of taking these photos as the two of you are spending time together.

Again, I defer to the many great websites out there that go into far greater detail about this process.  From my own experience, I recommend that you stay organized, research ahead of time what documents USCIS will want, and be very methodical in collecting them.  Keep a positive attitude, and if you find yourself getting exhausted in the process, remember that the two of you are getting closer to fulfilling your dreams of being married to each other.  

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